fancoloredglasses

[fancoloredglasses]

The Arrowverse (Doing for TV what the MCU did for movies), Appendix 2: Constantine

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue…]

My last review had a show that was supposed to be in the Arrowverse before the pandemic made plans change. This review I want to discuss a show that debuted before Arrow, but was retroactively made part of the Arrowverse (at least in many fans’ headcanon)

(Thanks to KraytCosmo)

Constantine was a horror mystery/adventure show along a similar vein as Supernatural, except that the protagonist uses magic.

The main protagonist is demonologist, Master of the Dark Arts, and future Legend John Constantine (played by Matt Ryan)

[FUN FACT: Ryan has been the face/voice of John Constantine in nearly every DC project featuring the character since his debut in this series much like Kevin Conroy had as Batman]

Constantine is a foul-mouthed morally-ambiguous anarchist who is attempting to atone for his arrogance that resulted in a claim being placed on his soul by the legions of Hell.

As such, he travels the United States (which, for a Brit, is likely hell enough) to send demonic terrors back to Hell using whatever means he has at his disposal.

While Constantine is one of the few that are uniquely qualified for this crusade, he does have a handful of allies (that are generally woefully underpowered for the job)

Chas Chandler is Constantine’s driver. During an early case, Constantine cast a spell of protection on him. Then Chas was caught in an explosion that killed 47 people, leaving him the sole survivor. The life force of the victims entered Chas, meaning he can be killed and return to life 47 times (that has to SERIOUSLY mess up your mental state!)

Mary “Zed” Martin is a psychic whose visions come in the form of artistic inspiration (she draws what she “sees”)

Finally, Manny is an Angel sent to guide Constantine. John wasn’t too happy about this and bound Manny to Earth, cutting him off from contact with Heaven.

The show only lasted half a season, which is a shame, as I thought it had potential. Granted, by this time Supernatural had been doing a similar schtick for ten years and many viewers who didn’t know the character’s history in DC likely saw Constantine as a rip-off (despite the fact that he’d been doing the schtick in the comics for 20 years before anyone ever heard of the Winchester boys) Of course, it didn’t help that Keanu Reeves starred in the film adaptation (to largely negative reviews) almost a decade before the character came to television.

If you would like to watch the series, it’s only available behind your favorite paywall. If you would like to see an episode reviewed, please let me know!

[fancoloredglasses]

The Arrowverse (Doing for TV what the MCU did for movies), Appendix 1: Superman & Lois

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue…]

The Arrowverse officially ended in May of 2023 following the final season of The Flash. However, that didn’t have to be the case, as there were new shows in the works that were scrapped following Crisis on Infinite Earths.

However, there was one spin-off that, thanks to a certain worldwide health crisis, didn’t cross over with the rest of the Arrowverse like it was supposed to. It was later ret-conned to be on a different Earth than the Arrowverse. However, in my headcanon, this series is part of the Arrowverse, but about 15 years after the events of Crisis.

(Thanks to Tye Judy)

Given the title, it’s obvious who the series revolves around: Clark Kent (played by Tyler Hoechlin) and his wife Lois Lane (played by Elizabeth Tulloch) The pair have returned to Smallville to raise their family.

Picking up from Crisis, Lois gave birth to a son, Jonathan Kent (named after Clark’s adopted father) However, for this series Lois gave birth to twins. (In my headcanon, the Crisis altered events. It’s certainly not the first time in the Arrowverse canon was altered; When the Flash changed his history, John Diggle’s daughter Sara became his son John)

Jon’s (right) twin brother Jordan (named after Kal-El’s biological father) is completely his opposite: While John is athletic and outgoing, Jordan is introverted, troubled, and subject to emotional outbursts (his mental state does eventually improve) Their Kryptonian heritage does eventually begin showing, adding a whole ‘nother level to the family drama (and that is pretty much what the show is about until the final season: a family drama with super powers)

However, this being a super hero show, it would get boring fast without bad guys, and naturally, Superman will eventually need someone to watch his back.

Enter John Henry Irons, a weapon designer from another Earth, and his daughter Natalie (whose mother was that Earth’s Lois Lane. Yeah, the multiverse can be confusing), who designed suits of power armor to help save lives when the Bad Guys Come Calling...

...code-named Steel.

The series lasted for 4 seasons, ending in 2024. In the final season, Clark’s secret is revealed to the world (and goes about as well as you’d expect) The final scenes (that I couldn’t find as a single video, so I present it in 2 parts) is both uplifting and heartbreaking…

(Thanks to TV Promos)

(Thanks to CW)

If you would like to watch the series, it’s available through your favorite paywall.

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] The Arrowverse (Doing for TV what the MCU did for movies), Part 7, the crossover events

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue…]

Though there were crossover “events” in which the Flash and the Green Arrow appeared on each others’ shows, they kinds of lacked the impact that these sort of things should have. Therefore, as much as I enjoyed them, I’m ignoring them as simply proving the shows share a universe (or, in Supergirl’s case, multiverse) and instead focusing in the events that crossed the entire Arrowverse, being featured on every series.

[QUICK NOTE: Much like my reviews of the Star Trek films, I’m going to briefly touch on each one. If you would like to see a more in-depth review of any, please let me know!]

There were four of these crossover events, starting with an alien…

Invasion!

(Sorry, this event didn’t get its own title card)

Invasion! is based on the DC crossover comic event of the same name where a coalition of warmongering races set their sights on Earth.

…led by a race known as the Dominators.

Before we get started, we need to go over the changes to the teams (Team Arrow and the Legends; Team Flash didn’t have any major changes to the roster)

Joining Team Arrow are Rene Ranirez (Wild Dog, far left), Queen Consolidated tech geek Curtis Holt (Mr. Terrific, left), and vigilante Rory Regan (Ragman, far right, who has bonded with a mystical suit of rags that he can use as weapons)

Meanwhile, the Legends have recruited historian Nate Haywood (Steel, who can transform his body into solid metal) and Justice Society ally Amaya Jiwi (Vixen, who wield a mystical totem that allows her to channel the abilities of any animal; grandmother of the modern Vixen), replacing those who left after Season 1: the Hawks, Rip Hunter, and Captain Cold (who sacrificed himself, and boy was I upset about that!)

Earth is the target of a race known as the Dominators (who look both less creepy and more menacing than their comic counterparts) who target Earth upon learning of the existence of metahumans (primarily the Flash, who showed at the beginning of the season that he has the ability to move through time using his speed)

Realizing he needs help in fighting aliens, Barry goes to Star City to recruit Team Arrow.

(Thanks to Pablo Calle)

Over the course of three series (plus a setup in Supergirl), the combined heroes (and Mick) battle the Dominators, culminating in a final battle in which the Dominators threatened to ignite a bomb that would kill all metahumans, thus ensuring no one could stop them (have they forgotten about Supergirl?) However, Cisco, Curtis, and Stein have developed devices that could drive the Dominators away…IF the team (well, mostly the Flash and Supergirl) can get them on enough of them.

(Thanks to SHOW TV)

With the Dominator defeated, everything returns to our regularly scheduled plotlines. However…

…Ray drops a bit of an Easter egg (think about it. You’ll get it!)

…and Cisco gives Kara her own device to hop dimensions (and communicate through them) so she’s ready for the next crossover event…

Crisis on Earth-X is the second multi-series crossover this time actually telling the tale over all four Arrowverse series. It reveals the one universe that no one in all of the multiverse wants to discuss (or even admit to its existence): Earth-X, a universe in which the Allies lost World War 2.

[NOTE: This is similar to Pre-Crisis Earth-X in which the second World War was still being fought in the 1980s]

Led by Dark Arrow and his wife Overgirl (three guesses who their Earth-1 counterparts are), they gain access to a device that allows them to cross dimensions, so they set out to conquer Earth-1… at Barry and Iris’s wedding!

(Thanks to Arrowverse Scenes)

It is then revealed that the X Reich is working with Eobard Thawne (the Reverse Flash) It turns out Overgirl is dying and needs a heart transplant. The plan is to use a device that can simulate red sunlight to weaken Supergirl so Thawne can remove her heart to transplant into Overgirl.

All is looking bleak when Dark Arrow’s forces take S.T.A.R. Labs and capture about half of Our Heroes (and Mick) They’re brought back to Earth-X and imprisoned. However, they’re assisted by members of the Earth-X’s Freedom Fighters…

Citizen Cold (Leo Snart) and the Ray (Ray Terrill), and don’t they look like a happy couple?

Of course it all comes down to an epic Final Battle in which Our Heroes (and Mick) defeat the Nazis and beat them back to Earth-X. Snart decides to stay with the Legends for a few episodes while the Ray heads back to help fight back the Reich.

However, Martin Stein is mortally wounded, and, due to their bond, his dying is taking Jax with him. However, Team Flash developed a serum to separate the Stein from the Firestorm matrix…

(Thanks to Legends Of Flarrow)

Excuse me. I have a bit of sacrifice in my eye. Sniff

Anyway, the Multiverse is safe for another year until…

[QUICK NOTE: “Elseworlds” is the imprint DC did when telling stories that were outside of the main continuity, much like Marvel’s What If…?]

This crossover event did not include the Legends, but did include Teams Arrow and Flash, as well as Supergirl and a couple of her relatives…

Namely, her cousin Kal-El (who had previously appeared in the series) and his wife Lois Lane (making her Arrowverse debut)

The story starts with a man named John Deegan, a doctor at Arkham Asylum, being given a book that can rewrite reality, and the first thing he does is switch Barry and Oliver, only their friends don’t realize a switch has happened (not helped by the fact that Barry is now an expert marksman and Oliver can run at incredible speed). They travel to Earth-38 to consult with Supergirl (who can see them as they are just fine)

The book was given to Deegan by being known as Mar Novu (AKA the Monitor) who…well, let’s let Barry Allen explain.

(Thanks to God of Speed)

Oliver, Kara, and Barry travel to Gotham where they meet…

…Batwoman.

Later, Barry and Kara are placed in mortal danger. Oliver asks the Monitor to save them. He agrees, in exchange for a task to be named later.

Those who know the comics will recognize the Monitor and will know what’s coming next. But that’s not the only thing that this event sets up:

It seems there’s a Kryptonian colony called Argo City. Lois and Clark visited and…

Yep, Lois is pregnant! Of course, given who the father is, they’ll have to return to Argo City for the birth.

But anyway, all of this dovetails to…

This event features all five series! Obviously, it’s based on the 1985 DC event.

Superman and Lois Lane return (having just returned from Argo City after giving birth to their son, Jonathan Kent, along with newcomer to the Legends…

Master of the Arcane John Constantine (more on him in a future chapter), as well as joining Team Arrow…

Oliver’s daughter from the future, Mia Smoak. She is somehow brought to the present and meets her father for the first time.

Additionally, yet another Wells (Nash Wells) is transformed into an entity known as Pariah (tasked to witnessing the end of the Multiverse) when he accidentally frees the Monitor’s enemy (and the villain in all of this…

The Anti-Monitor)

We open with several of DC’s TV and cinematic properties (including Titans, Birds of Prey, 1989’s Batman, and 1966’s Batman)

(Thanks to MMM DCTV)

…being destroyed by a wave of energies.

The Monitor returns to call in the favor Oliver owes him. The Multiverse is being destroyed by the Anti-Monitor and tasks Oliver to help, saying he won’t be returning. He also recruits heroes from across the multiverse (OK, from Earths 1 and 38)

However, just as Our Heroes engage with the Anti-Monitor’s forces while Earth-38’s population flees the destruction to Earth-1 (what about the rest of that universe?) During the evacuation, Oliver sacrifices himself to buy the refugees more time.

The heroes work to recruit other heroes that the Monitor deems essential to save the remains of the multiverse, bringing in three more cameos…

Bruce Wayne (played by the voice of Batman himself, Kevin Conroy), as well as Clark Kent…

…played by Tom Welling, and Clark Kent…

…played by Ray Palmer Brandon Routh. None of these cameos are around for the Final Battle.

As the heroes fight to save what’s left of the Multiverse, Sara, Mia, and Diggle try to revive Oliver with Constantine’s help. They manage to bring his body back via a Lazarus Pit (a mystical pool that was used by Ra’s-al Ghul to keep him alive for centuries) They attempt to bring his soul back by Constantine calling in a favor that involves a cameo from yet another DC series…

(Thanks to TV Promos)

…Lucifer. Yes, he is that Lucifer!

With Oliver’s soul reunited with his body, Our Heroes travel to the Dawn of Time for a final stand against the Anti-Monitor. They succeed, but…

Oliver dies…again (what was the point of bringing him back, then?)

The result is the merging of Earths 1, 38, and TUDS (Black Lightning’s Earth; I have no clue why it got that designation) into Earth Prime, but the Multiverse still exists for some reason as we see glimpses of Titans (again), Doom Patrol, and Stargirl.

But with the heroes victorious, all that’s left is the mop-up and a glimpse of What Comes Next…

(Thanks again to TV Promos)

This would have been a perfect ending if not for Gleek being involved!

And while this would’ve very nicely set things up for the next crossover, except it didn’t happen. There are a few reasons why that could be the case…

With Oliver Queen dead, the cornerstone series for the Arrowverse ended.

With Ruby Rose leaving Batwoman, there wasn’t the connection to the other series.

Crisis on Infinite Earths was in 2019. Covid hit in the middle of that television season and raged through most of the next, so an effort was made to limit cross-contamination. This caused a loss in momentum for whatever the next event was supposed to be.

There were plans for new spin-off shows that could’ve continued the Arrowverse, but those never happened.

Regardless, Crisis on Infinite Earths was the beginning of the end of the Arrowverse.

However, this isn’t the end of my review, as there are two more shows that are connected to the Arrowverse (though not officially a part)

One is in the past

while the other (at least in my headcanon) is in the future.

But those are stories for the final two chapters.

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] The Arrowverse (Doing for TV what the MCU did for movies), Part 6, Black Lightning

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue…]

Much like Supergirl, the subject of this chapter, despite debuting the year before Batwoman, wasn’t intended to be part of the Arrowverse due to being produced for a different network. However, join it eventually did!

(Thanks to Tye Judy)

Black Lightning is one of those characters that was criminally underused thanks to legal issues at DC. The character was supposed to be part of Superfriends, but due to a lawsuit between DC and the character’s creator, he was altered slightly and became Black Vulcan. Therefore, I was happy to see the character finally get his due.

Black Lightning follows the story of Jefferson (“Jeff”) Pierce, (what is it about DC comics and black characters named Jefferson?)

...who fought injustice on the streets of Freeland years ago as Black Lightning.

However, when an old foe resurfaces, Jeff (now with 2 daughters, the youngest in high school) once again dons his power suit and uncovers a government conspiracy involving dosing black youths with a serum that was supposed to make them docile but instead gave them super powers.

Accompanying Jeff in his fight against those who threaten Freeland is his wife, Lynn. However, the stress being the wife of Black Lightning drove them apart during his first run. However, they are rekindling their relationship as he’s forced out of retirement.

And his friend Peter Gambi, who designed Black Lightning’s suit and assists him behind the scenes.

They find out the hard way that the serum that gave the youths their abilities is passed along to their offspring somehow and Jefferson and Lynn’s daughters Anissa and Jennifer develop abilities.

Anissa develops the ability to increase her density, calling herself Thunder (since her stomps when dense can be rather…loud), while Jennifer develops lighting powers like Jeff, naturally calling herself Lightning.

The show very much deals with racial and class tensions as its central theme. It wasn’t originally part of the Arrowverse due to it originally being produced for Fox, who backed out after the show was green-lit. Therefore, it found a home on CW, and fans were waiting to see when/how it would join the Arrowverse. It finally did during its second season as part of a crossover event that will be discussed in the next chapter.

The series ran for 4 seasons. If you would like to watch the series, it’s available on Netflix or behind your favorite paywall. If you would like to see a specific episode reviewed, please let me know!

With the core Arrowverse shows outlined, it’s time to talk about the times they all worked together!

(Invasion! [Sorry, that’s the title card for it])

(Thanks to ACTwister)

(Thanks to DC Universe)

(Thanks to The Flash Fan)

…but those are stories for the next chapter!

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] The Arrowverse (Doing for TV what the MCU did for movies), Part 5, Batwoman

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue…]

The subject of this chapter’s review is a bit of an aberration (no, not that kind!) in that the character didn’t debut in their own series (I mean…yes, all but one of the original Legends started in either Arrow or The Flash, but the Waverider didn’t appear until Legends of Tomorrow) Instead, the debut occurred during a crossover event during the previous season.

(Thanks to Lancelot)

However, it’s not who you think! Instead, it was…

(Thanks to Tye Judy)

This is the series people had been waiting for…sorta. As soon as Oliver Queen name-dropped Bruce Wayne, people had been waiting for Batman to appear (I mean, Superman makes the odd appearance on Supergirl, so why not?) Unfortunately, there are all kinds of legal reason why Bats (and most of his villains) can’t appear in a new live-action TV series, so…

Batwoman is set in Gotham. However, the Batman has been gone for three years at this point (and Bruce Wayne has left the city and Wayne Enterprises)

Enter his cousin (so THAT’S who Aunt Harriet was!), Katherine (“Kate”) Kane (played by Ruby Rose…no, not that one!), who lost her mother and sister when their car fell into a river, though her sister’s body was never found.

Kate’s father Jacob owns Crows Security, who competes with GCPD in protecting Gotham after Batman disappears.

Kate stumbles across her cousin’s secret and, with a few costume adjustments, becomes…

Batwoman

However, even Bruce Wayne had Alfred, so Kate has her own support.

Luke Fox (the son of former Wayne Enterprises CEO Lucius Fox) is minding the company in Bruce’s absence and, like his father, knows Bruce’s secrets. He gets intel to keep Batwoman one step ahead of the thugs and the Crows (Jacob has a crusade to take Batwoman down)

Some time after Kate’s mother was killed, her father married Catherine Hamilton. Her daughter (and Kate’s step-sister) Mary is a medical student running an underground free clinic and often patches Kate up when she gets in over her head.

Sophie Moore is an executive at Crows Security and Kate’s ex. While she disapproves of Batwoman’s methods, she knows the city needs her.

Much as Batman has the Joker, Batwoman needs her opposite.

Enter Alice (as in Alice in Wonderland…does that mean we may see the Mad Hatter?), who Kate discovers is her presumed-dead sister, who was recovered by the people who killed her mother and driven homicidally mad while in captivity. Now she’s back and has an axe to grind against her family for not rescuing her.

Since Batwoman made her debut in a crossover event, the first few episodes of her series take place six months prior to the events in the crossover, which meant she only had a few episodes caught up with the rest of the Arrowverse and the next crossover event, during which she met her cousin (in another universe, played by an iconic Batman actor!

(Thanks to Arrowverse Clips)

However, after the first season, Ruby Rose left the series (there are conflicting reports as to whether or not it was her idea to leave), which left two issues: how to explain the absence of Kate Kane (unless she was being recast) and who would replace her (if she wasn’t)

(Thanks to Fact or Not)

Enter Ryan Wilder (played by Javicia Leslie), an ex-con (she claims she didn’t do what she was convicted of) who was in the right place when Kate’s plane crashed just outside of Gotham Harbor. She takes the Bat-suit and assumes the mantle (eventually with the blessing of Team Batwoman)

The series lasted two more seasons with Wilder in the suit. If you would like to watch the series (it’s the only official Arrowverse show not on Netflix), it’s available on Max, Tubi, or behind your favorite paywall. If you would like to see a specific episode reviewed, please let me know!

The same year Batwoman made her debut, another series starring another DC character (that wasn’t in the Arrowverse…yet) made its debut…

…but that’s a story for the next chapter.

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] The Arrowverse (Doing for TV what the MCU did for movies), Part 4: Legends of Tomorrow

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue…]

While Supergirl debuted a year before the subject of this chapter, it didn’t officially join the Arrowverse until Season 2, the same year as…

(Thanks to Midnite TV)

Legends of Tomorrow once again brought a few things to the Arrowverse. The first was a rotating/ensemble cast. Where the other three series had an obvious central figure (I mean, their names are the titles of the series!) with a strong supporting cast, Legends was designed such that anyone could join or leave at any time (In fact, only 1 member of the original crew of 9 lasted the entire series. I will only be covering the crew from Season 1 (and one other for reasons that will be explained later) in this review)

The second is humor. While all of the Arrowverse shows can have their light-hearted moments, there are times where Legends skirts just this side of campy, including fighting a giant death god with a cross between Elmo and a giant Furby.

(Thanks to Swoope)

Legends of Tomorrow chronicles (see what I did there?) the crew of the timeship Waverider.

Initially captained by Rip Hunter (played by Arthur Darvill, who played Rory Williams during Matt Smith’s tenure as the Doctor), a rogue agent of a group known as the Time Masters, as he attempts to change his history by preventing the rise of an immortal tyrant by defeating him in the past.

[JUMPING AHEAD: When Hunter manages to finally succeed (oh, you knew he’d do it eventually!), the Time Masters are disbanded. Therefore, Hunter leaves the Waverider to form the Time Bureau, whose job it is to deal with aberrations in the time stream caused by the Time Masters’ absence]

However, Hunter knows he can’t do this alone, so he goes to early 21st century Star City and Central City to recruit beings to help him. They are (with backgrounds)…

When the Queen’s Gambit was sabotaged, Oliver Queen thought he was the sole survivor. However, in his 5 years of hell, he discovered that Sara Lance survived and was trained by the League of Assassins, returning to Starling City as the Black Canary. However, she was killed and resurrected (not going into how at this time), being reborn as…

…the White Canary. In addition to being a trained assassin and combatant, Sara is (and I apologize if I give this more weight than it likely needs, but it’s a large part of her character) pansexual and has a hell of an appetite. A number of early shows involve scenes of Sara seducing various historical figures.

When Hunter leaves the Waverider, he leaves Sara in charge. Not entirely sure that was a wise choice, but given the other options among the crew…

Anyway…

When the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator accident occurred, Ronnie Raymond and Professor Martin Stein were close together. The Dark Matter fused them into one being. Raymond was eventually able to separate himself from Stein, and with help from Cisco Ramone managed to build a device that would help control their abilities when joined into a being known as Firestorm.

However, Raymond was killed closing a dimensional breach that threatened to destroy the universe.

Eventually, Stein would find a new partner in Jefferson “Jax” Jackson.

While merged, Jax has control of Firestorm while Stein advises via their psychic link. In addition to the obvious flame powers, Firestorm has flight and can transform matter into other matter (such as an unstable meteor into water.

(Thanks to Spidersonicj)

Industrialist Ray Palmer (played by Brandon Routh, who previously played a certain S-clad hero in Superman Returns) developed an armored exoskeleton known as the Advanced Technology Operating Mechanism (A.T.O.M.) However, the suit developed a glitch, shrinking Palmer to a size smaller than an insect. Thus was born…

The Atom

Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders are old souls dating back to ancient Egypt. They reincarnate through the ages, always eventually finding one another. In this incarnation, they become…

Hawkman and Hawkgirl

Finally, Leonard Snart and Mick Rory were small-time criminals in Central City before they hit the big time by raiding a research facility, stealing guns that could generate extreme cold and heat and adopting the monikers…

Captain Cold and Heatwave

The crew (collectively known as “The Legends”) mostly dealt with beings that were out of their time period (aberrations), but in Season 4, the focus changed to mystical threats, and for that, they needed a specialist

Enter John Constantine, Master of the Occult (a few years removed from his own TV show on NBC. More on him in a future chapter)

The series ran for 7 seasons, and while not as “required viewing” as the others (in fact, Legends “opted out” of most of the Arrowverse crossover events), though members of the Legends usually found their way into the narrative), it was a fun ride with some interesting side-stories with members of the cast (including finding out Rory is an aspiring romance novelist!)

If you would like to watch the series, it’s available on Netflix or behind your favorite paywall. If you would like to see a specific episode reviewed, please let me know!

Speaking of crossover events, that leads us to the next chapter, who didn’t debut in her own series, but in a crossover.

(Thanks to Legends Universe)

…but that’s a story for another chapter.

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] The Arrowverse (Doing for TV what the MCU did for movies), Part 3: Supergirl

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue…]

When the Arrowverse was on the air, its home was on the CW (owned at the time by Paramount and Time-Warner). However, CBS (owned by Paramount) decided to green-light another DC property…

When I first heard of Supergirl coming to CBS, my first thought was hoping they didn’t screw it up like they did her movie in the 80s. My second was wondering why it wasn’t on CW as part of the Arrowverse, but then you’d have Supergirl swooping in to Save The Day everywhere.

And then (after what I’m sure was a metric shit-ton of negotiations between CBS and CW)…

…Barry Allen made his leap, securing Supergirl as part of the Arrowverse (In case you were wondering, the official designation of Supergirl’s Earth is Earth-38)

Supergirl follows the story of Kara Danvers (AKA Kara Zor-El, cousin to Kal-El, the Kryptonian who would become known as Superman; played by Melissa Benoist) Kara was in a second escape rocket when Krypton was destroyed, but was hit by debris and knocked into a wormhole that kept her in suspended animation for about 20 years (she was a pre-teen when Krypton exploded and didn’t age a day while Kal-El crashed on Earth, was found by the Kents, yadda yadda yadda) Kara’s rocket was eventually freed and crashed on Earth where it was found by Jeremiah Danvers and adopted her as his daughter. Kara kept her powers secret until forced into the light saving a passenger plane and given the name Supergirl.

Supergirl’s powers are the same as her cousin’s: Strength, speed, flight, heat vision, yadda yadda yadda, and she uses them to protect her home in National City (a quick google search says that the city is in southern California. Sooooo….Los Angeles? San Diego?)

However, Jeremiah wasn’t without children of his own when he found Kara’s rocket. He had a daughter named Alexandra (or “Alex”) Alex grew up to be a senior agent in the Department of Extranormal Operations (D.E.O.)

While Alex initially resented having a younger sister, she eventually became very protective of Kara, and was the first one she came to when she had a life-changing realization…

(Thanks to Sanvers News)

(Hey, no one ever said coming out was easy…or easy to accept! However, Kara was very cool with it as soon as she was able to process it.)

The head of the D.E.O. in National City is Hank Henshaw…or at least that’s what he claimed. It’s later revealed his actual name is J’onn J’onnz

…a Martian, who is able to shapeshift (among other abilities)

When not saving National City, Kara works for CatCo Worldwide Media, which was founded by…

Catherine “Cat” Grant (played by Callista Flockhart, best known as Ally McBeal), former gossip columnist for the Daily Planet, who rules her domain with a velvet-lined iron fist (usually mispronouncing Kara’s name in a dismissive tone)

Cat isn’t the only one to come to National City via Metropolis, as Jimmy (or “James” as he now prefers to be called) Olson is the head of the graphics department at CatCo (and knows Kara’s secret through her cousin, Clark Kent)

Rounding out Team Supergirl is Winn Schott, IT specialist and the one who designed Supergirl’s outfit.

(Thanks to Noob-Gamer-007)

As much as Supergirl is the focus of the series, you have to eventually have an appearance of her more famous cousin.

While The Flash brought metahumans into the Arrowverse, Supergirl brought aliens, and used them to speak out (in kind of a heavy-handed way) about the US immigration policies at the time.

The series lasted for 1 season on CBS before being moved to CW (making crossovers a lot easier) for 5 more seasons. If you would like to watch the series, it’s available on Netflix or behind your favorite paywall. If you would like to see a specific episode reviewed, please let me know!

However, before Supergirl was brought into the fold, there were a number of heroes that had been introduced in Arrow and The Flash that didn’t earn a regular recurring role, but many fans wanted to see more of.

(Thanks to Arrowverse Best Clips)

But that’s a story for the next chapter.

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] The Arrowverse (Doing for TV what the MCU did for movies), Part 2: The Flash

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue…]

In the last review, I covered bringing Green Arrow to television. It was so successful that by the middle of Season 2, they were ready to spin off a new series based on a different hero…

(Thanks to DVisionVFX)

The Flash is one of the few “A-list” DC heroes I religiously followed in the comics when I was regularly reading. I remembered The Flash from the 90s, and while I enjoyed it, the current version is a vast improvement. For starters CGI technology had finally advanced enough to make the effects necessary for super powers to be filmed inexpensively (In the 90s, John Wesley Shipp had to be filmed several times doing the same actions with the clips merged together to give the illusion of super speed movement). Secondly, as I said in my review of the 90s series, the Flash has a villain roster that is just as colorful (and possibly more populated) than Batman’s.

It also added two elements to what was now starting to be called the Arrowverse that were lacking. The first was metahumans (what DC calls otherwise “normal” humans with super powers), and while not many came over to Arrow, there was always the possibility. The second was crossovers, something that DC hadn’t yet done in their movies (but Marvel had been doing for a few years with the fledgling MCU) You didn’t often see Oliver Queen in The Flash, (or the Flash in Arrow) but names were dropped a few times and events in one could impact the other (especially when the Flash traveled through time…wait, what?!)

Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself.

The Flash tells the story of Barry Allen (played by Grant Gustin).

When Barry was a child, he saw his mother murdered by a streak of light. The police didn’t buy his story, pinning the murder of his father…

…Henry (played by John Wesley Shipp, who played the Flash in the 90s)

As a result, Barry researched strange crimes (similar to Chloe’s “Wall of Weird” in Smallville), hoping to find out the truth behind his mother’s murder. He eventually becomes a CSI in Central City.

Then came the day S.T.A.R. Labs turned on its experimental particle accelerator.

(Thanks to Dillon Orlando)

The chemicals in the lab accident were infused with particles from the accelerator known as Dark Matter, granting Barry the ability to move at supersonic speed.

He donned a red suit to hide his identity when not moving faster than the eye can track. Originally known as “The Blur,” he eventually was renamed “The Flash”

The Dark Matter affected others (mostly criminals) in Central City, granting them powers as well. However, there were a few allies with and without powers.

Barry often works with CCPD Detective Joe West (even before Joe learned his secret), who took Barry in after what happened to his parents, and is also the father of…

Iris West, a barista (and eventual reporter) who Barry has a crush on (and eventually marries)

S.T.A.R. Labs is owned by Dr. Harrison Wells, who was responsible for the particle accelerator accident. He studies Barry’s abilities and mentors him as he begins his career as a super hero.

[QUICK NOTE: Harrison Wells leaves the show at the end of the first season, to be replaced by Harrison Wells (played by the same actor)! In fact, every season sees a new Harrison Wells (still played by the same actor) I’ll explain later]

Dr. Wells’s assistants are Cisco Ramone and Dr. Caitlin Snow. Due to their proximity to the particle accelerator, they were also affected.

Cisco gained clairvoyance, as well as the ability to make sonic blasts and pierce dimensions (wait, what? More on that later), calling himself Vibe.

While Caitlin gained cold powers that manifested as a darker personality: Killer Frost.

Eventually, as Barry learned more about his abilities, he gained the ability to vibrate his atoms fast enough to pass through solid objects…and move through time! In fact, he went back in time to save his mother, completely rewriting history (which was even felt in Arrow) He eventually changed his history back, but events still were different.

He also learns about his future.

We’ll circle back to time travel in a future chapter of this review, but I now want to talk about something else that was introduced at the end of Season 1: The multiverse

Starting with Season 2, the Flash regularly visits other Earths, where history is a bit different and the people within follow different paths. In one of those Earths, Barry meets the Flash (Jay Garrick)

(Played by the Flash: John Wesley Shipp!)

The series ran for 9 seasons. If you would like to watch the series, it’s available on Netflix or behind your favorite paywall.If you would like to see a specific episode reviewed, please let me know!

Oh, and one more thing about the Multiverse: the Flash managed to visit an Earth that was not only in another dimension, but on another network!

…but that’s a story for the next review.

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] The Arrowverse (Doing for TV what the MCU did for movies), Part 1: Arrow

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue…]

The Arrowverse is the collection of television shows created by DC Entertainment and aired on the CW (though one was originally on CBS, but we’ll get to that) that share an interconnected continuity (though one was linked late in the game, but again we’ll get to that) All told, there have been over 100 (yes, I counted!) superheroes (and at least one anti-hero) from the pages of DC Comics that have been on screen, mentioned, or at least hinted at, and (thanks to the “villain of the week” syndrome) countless villains.

I had originally reviewed the Arrowverse to give my views in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event that, at the time, had just concluded. As such, I gave just enough lip service to each series so everyone knew the series involved. For this RERUN, I’ll be giving each series the coverage it deserves (as well as a series that, while not technically part of the Arrowverse, is still connected tangentially)

It all started with…

(Thanks to DVisionVFX)

I have been a fan of Green Arrow since his all-too brief appearance on an episode of Superfriends, so it should be little surprise that when it was announced in 2012 that CW would be airing a series based on the character, I immediately checked to see if we still has a CW affiliate in the area (at the time, Supernatural was the only thing worth watching on the network and even that was just limping along) Luckily, there was and I tuned in, hoping it was better than what DC was putting on the big screens at the time.

It did not disappoint.

Arrow tells the story of Oliver Queen (played by Stephen Amell), playboy, heir to his billionaire father (the CEO of Queen Consolidated), and sole survivor of the bombing of his father’s yacht the "Queen's Gambit." Following the bombing he spent 5 years fending for himself of an uncharted island (with Gilligan, the Skipper, the millionaire and his wife…actually with a mercenary, a zen archer, and several Bad People)…or at least that was the original story. It was later revealed he got off the island but circumstances kept him from going home and eventually he wound up back on the island (it’s all very confusing and convoluted and suffers from prequel-itis since he had to be rescued from the island eventually)

In any event, he was rescued and brought home to Starling City (which eventually was renamed Star City due to fans crying foul at CW arbitrarily initially giving a different name to GA’s home) with a list given to him by his father of those who were trying to destroy Starling City from within and a promise to make those people pay. In order to do that, he had to become someone… something… else.

Thus, Oliver Queen became the vigilante known as the Arrow

(later, the Green Arrow)

[QUICK NOTE: Amell trained hard for the role so he could believably portray a costumed vigilante. As such, he performed as many stunts himself that the producers would allow, and all of the training sequences in the show were done by him]

Queen begins this crusade alone, but later gains allies, including…

John Diggle is a former operative with a government agency known as the Advanced Research Group Uniting Superhumans (A.R.G.U.S.) who was hired by Oliver’s family to be his bodyguard (despite Oliver's objections) after an early (failed) kidnapping attempt shortly after Oliver’s return. Realizing he couldn't continue his crusade while having Diggle lurking (and not wanting to hurt an innocent), Oliver reveals his secret.

Diggle dons an armored costume (calling himself Spartan) and joins him.

Felicity Smoak (played by Emily Bett Rickards, who recently played Mildred Burke in Queen of the Ring) was an IT tech at Queen Consolidated who gave technical assistance to Oliver before being brought into what the fans would eventually call Team Arrow. The pair eventually fall in love and marry.

Roy Harper was a petty thief who Oliver warms to, bringing him in to assist with taking down a drug manufacturer.

Oliver trains him and he joins Oliver’s crusade, adopting the name Arsenal.

Oliver’s ex, attorney Laurel Lance, who joined Team Arrow following the death of her sister (more on her is a bit)…

…as the Black Canary

Oliver’s sister Thea eventually joins Team Arrow, adopting the nickname Olliver gave her as a kid:

Speedy

Laurel’s sister Sara was on the yacht the day it was bombed and presumed dead. However, it was revealed later that she survived and was trained by a cult of assassins. When she returned to Starling City, she was the original Black Canary (using a device to produce her trademark "canary cry") before dying (Laurel assumed the mantle to honor her) and becoming reborn (literally)

...as the White Canary.

We’ll circle back to her in a later chapter of this review.

While not officially part of Team Arrow, Laurel’s father (played by Paul Blackthorne, who played Harry Dresden in The Dresden Files), a member of the Star(ling) City PD, eventually became a staunch ally to the Arrow even before learning who was under the mask.

The problem with a show based on Green Arrow (other than naming the city wrong and the origin story changing every season) is that Green Arrow does not have a deep roster of enemies. In fact, I can probably count on one hand the number of memorable villains that came from his pages. So, the writers stole borrowed villains from other heroes that would fit his power level (such as Ra’s al Ghul and Deadshot from Batman and Deathstroke, Brother Blood, and Damien Darhk from the Teen Titans)

The season-spanning metaplots usually revolved around the Big Bad having a plot to take over/raze Star(ling) City, usually revolving around the "slum" region of the city known as the Glades. The season also (for the first 5 seasons) involved flashbacks to Oliver’s time in exile on the island (as well as Hong Kong and Russia…again, his backstory kept changing as the writers realized they were running out of things for him to do on the island) as well as a glimpse into Star City’s future.

The plots and villains were for the most part on a Batman level of power, with very few super-powered villains (though two were immortal and one had magical powers), as were his allies.

The series lasted 8 seasons, ending shortly after the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event.

If you would like to watch the series, it’s available on Netflix or behind your favorite paywall. If you would like to see a specific episode reviewed, please let me know!

Season 2 featured a CSI from Central City named Barry Allen, who suffered a horrible accident which officially gave birth to the "Arrowverse"…

(Thanks to Dillon Orlando)

…but that’s a tale for the next chapter.

[fancoloredglasses]

The Tribble Saga (what happens when invasive species come to the Federation (oh, the irony!)), Part 2: More Tribbles, More Troubles

[All images are owned by Paramount. Please don’t sue me]

In Part 1 of this review, we saw the debut of these little guys.

However, this Original Series episode (and the DS9 episode that ran parallel to it thanks to the magic of time travel) wasn’t the only appearance of the Tribbles in pre-Paramount+ Star Trek, as this review will reveal.

We once are again dealing with Sherman’s Planet (presumably having been won by the Federation), as the planet is dealing with crop failures. In response, the Enterprise is tasked with escorting a pair of drone freighters containing quintritruticale (presumably because the quadrotiticale has issues; and once again, I’m just gonna call it “grain” from here on) to the planet.

The Enterprise’s sensors pick up a Klingon D7 Battlecruiser in Federation space attacking a one-man scout vessel, so they alter course to chase the Klingons off.

As the Enterprise approaches, the Klingons open fire on the other ship.

The Enterprise manages to beam the sole occupant out before the Klingons destroy his ship, though the signal is scrambled due to the ship’s explosion. However…

(Thanks to CBS)

I guess Cyrano Jones didn’t learn his lesson after K-7. Why would he carry Tribbles when they were proven to be hazardous due to their rapid breeding?

So he pretty much sterilized the Tribbles he’s carrying.

However, he was supposed to be busy for another 16 years (Spock estimated it would take 17.9 years to clear the station in Season 2, while TAS technically takes place in the year following Season 3) How did he manage to clean up K-7 so fast?

OK, that explains that. The predator (known as a Glommer) ate most of the Tribbles. So what the hell is he doing on the run from the Klingons?

You did WHAT?! Did you forget how the Tribbles reacted to them on K-7?!

Kirk realizes that Jones’s little adventure violated more than a few Federation laws.

Later, McCoy is analyzing one of the genetically altered Tribbles and agrees that they don’t reproduce.

Now that the danger with the Tribbles is over, Kirk can concentrate on more urgent matters.

Spock concludes, based on his analysis, that while the weapon does render an opponent without weapons and warp power, the energy required does the same to the Klingons when they use it.

Spock is sure the Klingons will return once their reactors have recharged.

I’m guessing just handing him over isn’t an option.

Meanwhile, the grain stored in the damaged drone vessel has been transferred to the Enterprise, but has used up all available storage space.

…wait, they moved the grain…onto the Enterprise…where there are Tribbles. Who else sees things going HORRIBLY wrong?

Later, Spock detects Koloth’s cruiser in the area, so the ship goes to Red Alert.

That Tribble has grown quite a bit…

Kirk sends the drone away in case the Klingons try using their weapon again, so…

…the Klingons disable the drone so Kirk can’t try that trick again (I have a feeling the Enterprise is about to get VERY crowded with grain). Having disabled the drone, Koloth opens fire on the Enterprise. The shields hold, but the impact shakes the Enterprise and the grain canisters fall over and grain spills everywhere.

I can almost hear the Tribbles screaming “BUFFET!”

The Enterprise manages to drive off the Klingons, but now they’ll need to tow the drone with their tractor beam (which will severely slow them down) or bring the grain aboard (though now that the Tribbles are eating the contents of the first drone, they should have more room)

Kirk asks Spock for advice on how to deal with the Klingons in their limited capacity.

Meanwhile, Scotty has discovered the broken containers and the Glommer is having issues dealing with the Tribbles as they’ve gotten too large.

Jones doesn’t understand why Kirk is upset about his “harmless little” Tribbles.

Then McCoy comes to the bridge.

There’s time for that later, since the Klingons have returned! Kirk orders the drone to be released (with the intent to come back for it if they survive)

The Enterprise fires a photon torpedo, but the Klingons use the stasis beam…

…causing it to explode prematurely. The beam then snares the Enterprise! Koloth then demands that Kirk surrender Cyrano Jones to him.

Kirk has Uhura cut the transmission as he stands up. He tries to sit again, but…

That Tribble REALLY likes Kirk’s chair…and is growing by leaps and bounds!

Kirk tells Scotty to prepare to repel the imminent Klingon boarders using Spock’s suggestions (I guess we’ll find out what those are shortly)

As the Klingons prepare to beam over…

…Scotty beams over the Tribbles!

Koloth then reveals that Cyrano Jones stole the Glommer (which the Klingons designed to deal with the Tribbles) from them and demands it back.

As it was said in Part 1, the Klingons REALLY hate the Tribbles!

Koloth is willing to let Jones go if he returns the Glommer so they can free the planet that Jones sold the Tribbles to before there’s nothing left on the planet BUT Tribbles!

Jones is furious about losing the Glommer, so Scotty offers to transport Jones over as well

With that, the Klingons free the Enterprise and withdraw from Federation space. Kirk notes that the Klingon stasis field is too much a power drain on a vessel to be an effective weapon in space combat.

McCoy then reveals what his research on the “genetically engineered” Tribbles:

So you’re saying there are COLONIES of Tribbles on the Klingon ship?! (because you KNOW Scotty didn’t beam them back before the Klingons left)

(Thanks again to CBS)

Hope you enjoyed this saga. Please let me know if there are other recurring characters/threats you’d like to see explored.

[fancoloredglasses]

The Tribble Saga (what happens when invasive species come to the Federation (oh, the irony!)), Part 1: The Trouble With Tribbles/Trials and Tribble-ations

[All images are owned by Paramount. Please don’t sue me]

Of all of the ridiculous episodes Star Trek (the Original Series) has done (and let’s not forget that among those episodes we were treated to a planet of modern Romans, a planet of gangsters, a planet of Nazis, and space hippies), there is one bout of silliness that is fondly remembered by fans. That would be the episode featuring these little guys:

However, as Star Trek expanded beyond the Original Series, there were two other episodes that featured the Tribbles (including one that revisited the original episode thanks to *sigh* time travel)

I would like to note that it took me 40 years to realize that the original series episode that started this all was about the dangers of introducing an invasive species into a favorable environment.

Anyway, on with the saga, which starts nearly a century after it begins. If you would like to watch the episodes in question, they’re available on Paramount+ or behind your favorite paywall.

We open with a shuttle approaching Deep Space Nine

(Thanks to Mike Johnson)

And what was the Enterprise up to at this point?

We begin with an info dump about Sherman’s Planet, a world in dispute between the Klingons and the Federation, with colonization rights ultimately given to whomever can most efficiently develop it.

Suddenly, the Enterprise receives a Priority-One Distress Call from K-7, a space station on the border of Klingon space. Kirk assumes the Klingons are attacking the station and rushes to the station, phasers hot, to find no Klingons. If they has been and gone, the station would likely be nothing but debris. Surely K-7 didn’t send out a false alarm?

Kirk contacts K-7 to find out what the hell is going on. The director of the station (Director Lurry) apologizes and asks Kirk to beam over to explain why he issued the false alarm.

With that, Kirk and Spock beam over to K-7, where they encounter…

Nilz Baris, a diplomat from Earth who is now in charge of the development of Sherman’s Planet.

…and his assistant, Arne Darvin.

Varis drafts the crew of the Enterprise to guard the storage compartments in K-7, as they are filled with quadrotriticale, a genetically altered grain designed specifically to thrive on Sherman’s Planet.

(If you think I’m gonna keep typing quadrotriticale throughout this review, you’ve got another think coming! From here on out, I’m just gonna call it “grain”)

Well, as long as the Enterprise is stuck at K-7, Kirk authorizes shore leave for the crew while off-duty.

Back in the present, Sisko explains that Waddle stunned the crewman guarding the Orb and used it to send the Defiant over a century into the past to the Enterprise’s mission to Deep Space Station K-7.

[QUICK NOTE: The producers of DS9 managed to cast Charlie Bill (the actor who played Darvin in The Trouble With Tribbles) as Darvin in this episode]

Worf explains that Darvin was altered to look human and was a spy, but his mission failed and he was disgraced and left the Empire. Unfortunately, Worf isn’t sure if Darvin beamed to the Enterprise of K-7, so he has the teams split up to search both crafts.

Sisko tasks the crew to find Darvin before he can do what he came to this time to do (whether warn his younger self about his future, or even murder Kirk), but to do that, they’ll need to disguise themselves (after all, those stylish Federation “grease monkey” uniforms won’t exactly blend in with 23rd century garb, not to mention the fact that they have a Klingon among them!), so they have the replicator make them uniforms.

Obviously, history isn’t Bashir’s strong suit (also, I think his “23rd century” hairstyle makes him look more dorky than usual). Then Dax shows up in her minidress uniform.

Keep it in your pants, Julian!

Using Treknobabble, O’Brien explains that there are moments of “blind spots” in the Enterprise’s sensors that will allow the Defiant to decloak long enough to use the transporters (well, that closes one plot hole, at least) The human members of the command crew will search the Enterprise while Worf and Odo search K-7 and Kira coordinates the teams and takes command of the Defiant.

With that, the humans beam aboard (Sisko and Dax in the fore with Bashir and O’Brien in the aft) However, they have a comical bit of culture shock when they don’t know how to operate a 23rd century turbolift.

(Thanks again to Mike Johnson)

Worf has a seat (FAR from the Tribble) and explains his dislike of the creature.

Odo then mocks the Klingons, who committed genocide and destroyed the Tribbles’ homeworld for good measure.

Back at the bar, the trader (Cyrano Jones), sells his Tribble to Uhura, but not before the Tribble eats the sample of the grain Chekov was carrying.

Suddenly, alarms blare throughout K-7 and the Enterprise! Sisko checks in with Kira, who reports a Klingon battle cruiser is approaching K-7.(Well, THAT can’t be good! Did they find out there was a Tribble peddler on K-7?)

Kirk warns Lurry about the Klingons, but Lurry doesn’t seem worried about an attack, since the Klingons’ captain is in his office.

Kirk immediately beams down to talk to the captain, a Klingon named Koloth.

And what did Koloth want with K-7?

(Thanks to April 5, 2063)

Dax recalls Kurzon Dax knew Koloth and wants to transport to the station to meet Koloth help Odo and Worf. Sisko sends Bashir and O’Brien instead.

(Thanks to Dputiger)

Back on the Enterprise, Kirk and Spock enter the Lounge to discover Uhura’s Tribble has had a litter. Spock notes that the cooing from the Tribble has a soothing effect on humans.

…he says as he’s gently petting the Tribble. McCoy takes one of the Tribbles to analyze in Sickbay.

Meanwhile, Sisko and Dax spot…

(I do enjoy seeing the Forrest Gump effects being used to integrate the two casts)

…Baris contacting Kirk to chew him out about letting the Klingons on K-7.

Dax admires the pair from afar.

Sisko comments on Kirk’s reputation with the opposite gender.

Dax is amazed that Sisko doesn’t want to meet Kirk. Sisko admits he does, but it’s more important to find Darvin and not pollute the timeline.

Meanwhile, Kirk goes to Sickbay to deal with the dual headaches caused by Baris and the Klingons, when he sees the Tribble Uhura gave McCoy…or, should I say…Tribbles!

McCoy figures out that a Tribble’s internals are geared toward making more Tribbles, but he needs to further examine them.

Kirk addresses the crewmen going on shore leave, telling them to avoid conflict with the Klingons, and leaving Scotty in charge to keep them out of trouble.

On K-7, Bashir and O’Brien spot the others in the lounge.

(Once again, thanks to Mike Johnson)

[Clearly, that “Long Story” Worf is referring to is “Brannon Braga couldn’t be bothered to come up with a plausible explanation before the scripts were finalized and shooting began”]

Anyway, the Klingon kept goading Kirk, and when that didn’t work, the Enterprise.

Well, you can insult Kirk all day, but NO ONE insults the Enterprise in front of Scotty and gets away with it!

With that, the bar erupts into an all-out brawl!

Even Worf gets in on the fun on the Starfleet side (at least he knows where his loyalties lie) until Odo spots Darvin and they go to apprehend him. However…

…Security shows up and detains all Starfleet personnel. Kirk then dresses down all of his (and Sisko’s) men involved.

No one rats out Scotty, so everyone is confined to quarters and dismissed…except Scotty. Kirk wants to know from the one who was supposed to prevent this sort of thing who started the brawl.

When Kirk heard the insults thrown by the Klingons at himself and the Enterprise, he understood, but still had to punish Scotty.

Since Bashir and O’Brien have no official quarters on the Enterprise, they wander off randomly until they run into…

That can’t be good!

It’s not all bad news for the crew of the Defiant, as Odo and Worf have captured Darvin, who reveals he’s set in motion a plan to murder Kirk.

(Thanks to April 5, 2063)

And so…

…they scan Every. Single. Tribble. Unfortunately, the Tribbles are breeding MUCH faster than they can scan!

Fortunately, Dax has a brainstorm: the bomb must be somewhere that Kirk will be in the next half hour or so, so the new plan is to shadow Kirk and hope they scan the bomb before it goes off.

Meanwhile Kirk has Cyrano Jones brought in to deal with the Tribble problem. Jones says he’s done nothing wrong, despite the fact that the Tribbles are breeding out of control. At that, he saunters out of Lurry’s office as Baris storms in with a bone to pick with Kirk.

He accuses Kirk of allowing a Klingon spy free reign over the station, namely one Cyrano Jones. Kirk all but laughs in Baris’s face, having thoroughly checked Jones’s background.

Later, Dax and Sisko are in the Enterprise lounge when Kirk comes in for lunch.

Then Scotty comes in and announces the Tribbles have gotten into the air ducts, and Kirk realizes there are similar ducts leading to the storage compartments on K-7 (where the grain is stored), so Kirk and Spock rush to the transporter, and Sisko and Dax get beamed to the storage compartment and quickly start scanning as Kirk gets to the storage container and opens it.

(Thanks to Giant Giant Kelp Restoration Project)

And as this happens, inside the bin…

(Thanks to Star Trek Clips)

…and no one noticed the explosion?

But the last of that clip is getting a bit ahead of ourselves. We’ll circle back to that as Kirk has Cyrano Jones brought to Lurry’s office as Koloth also enters, demanding that Kirk apologize to the Klingon High Command for how the Klingons were treated while on shore leave.

Baris says that such an apology will be basically handing them Sherman’s Planet. However, Kirk first wants to know how the Tribbles wound up in the grain and what killed them before he gives the Klingons the time of day, let alone an apology. Koloth asks that, before proceeding, the Tribbles that have settled in Lurry’s office be removed.

As Security removes the Tribbles, Darvin enters.

Kirk asks Jones why the Tribbles are acting like that. Jones says he’s only seen that sort of reaction with Klingons. Kirk then takes the Tribbles and tests them against the people in the room first the Klingons, which causes them to screech once again.

Then Spock, whom they like.

Followed by Baris, whom they also like.

But yet, they screech at Darvin. Kirk asks McCoy to scan Darvin.

McCoy then gives his report on what killed the Tribbles in the storage compartment: the grain they ate was poisoned! Under threat of being locked in a room with the Tribbles, Darvis confesses to sabotaging the grain. As Darvin is arrested, Kirk tells Koloth to get his ship the hell back to Klingon space.

As for Jones…

(Thanks again to April 5, 2063)

By this time, Kira had learned how to use the Orb of Time to return the ship to the present.

(Thanks one last time, Mike)

[NOTE: The scene with Kirk and Sisko was NOT from The Trouble With Tribbles, but Mirror Mirror, with Sicko replacing Lt. Moreau]

…and so Odo managed to re-introduce the Tribbles to the galaxy thanks to the wonders on time travel. I suppose the crew could round them all up and send them through the Wormhole? If this happened in Season 6, they could’ve been a nasty “gift” for the Dominion!

However, this wasn’t their only appearance before the Klingons Wiped Them Out For Good (only for Odo to ruin all of their hard work)

[fancoloredglasses]

Absolute Justice (it's hard to be historically accurate when the setting is 40 years later), Conclusion: Legends

(Thanks to The Legend)

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. Please don’t sue me]

[NOTE: All comic images are courtesy of DC Continuity Project unless overwise noted]

PREVIOUSLY ON…

Chloe is approached by a man named Sylvester Pemberton, but is murdered by someone wielding ice powers. This killer (the son of an assassin named Joar Mehkent (AKA the Icicle, who has been in a coma for over a decade), who has taken his father’s name and has the same powers) also killed a man named Wesley Dodds.

Clark and Chloe link them both to a group of criminals that include Carter Hall and Kent Nelson, who are revealed to be costumed beings known as Hawkman and Dr. Fate. A teenager named Courtney Whitmore takes Pemberton’s Cosmic Rod and joined Hawkman and Dr. Fate, calling herself Stargirl.

During their investigation, Dr. Fate takes Clark. While Chloe and Oliver Queen (AKA Green Arrow), learn of Hall’s alter ego.

And what of Clark? Well…

(Thanks to Granny Smith)

Now, on with our story. If you would like to watch the episode, it’s available on Hulu or behind your favorite paywall.

Just as it looks like everyone might finally get on the same page, Green Arrow shows up to stir the pot

Just as Hawkman is about to cave in Green Arrow’s skull and/or Green Arrow is about to put an arrow through Hawkman’s eye, J’onn J’onnz shows up.

Cue the opening credits!

Now that J’onn has calmed everyone down, they can talk like civilized people.

Oliver brings up the JSA’s criminal records, which Courtney claims was fabricated. J’onn gives a rousing speech that once again gets everyone (more or less) on the same page (Personally I think Oliver and Carter need to get over this by duking it out until either one of them is killed or they wind up kissing)

Meanwhile at the Daily Planet, Lois Lane gets a package containing…

…the dossiers of the Justice Society’s members.

Back at the brownstone, Carter sets the record straight (though I am curious as to who NO ONE among Clark’s peers had ever heard of the JSA before this whole thing started. It’s almost as if the writers didn’t care until someone came up with this idea)

Yeah, that tracks. The government always has to stick their nose into super heroes’ business (not being a Conspiracy Theorist; There are at least 3 or 4 agencies in both Marvel and DC who make it their jobs to keep tabs on/control/eliminate the Cape and Mask Brigades, whether authorized or not)

Clark wants to work with Carter, Fate, and Courtney to stop he Icicle, and Courtney pleads with Carter to work with them, for the sake of the members of the JSA who are still retired.

The question is, where is the Icicle?

I was wondering when Chloe would show up.

Chloe mentions two possible locations: Metropolis General (to see his father) or someplace with liquid nitrogen so he can replenish his abilities. She just needs access to the JSA’s computer to see where that would be.

…this could take a while. After all, I kinda doubt AOL or CompuServe would have that information. Instead, Chloe and Courtney move the investigation to the team’s HQ. Courtney is impressed, but, unlike the brownstone, it doesn’t feel “lived in”

Courtney suggests that the team actually work on being more friends than teammates, so they would be more willing to work together.

Then Green Arrow and Hawkman check in that they’re ready if Icicle comes to the hospital in response to Chloe’s false report that Mehkent’s condition has degraded.

And from their stakeout position, Green Arrow wonders why he had to team up with a guy he really dislikes.

Green Arrow then asks the question I’ve been wondering:

It’s been over a decade since the original Icicle was hospitalized, but yet Junior waits until now to enact his revenge.

While they ponder that, Dr. Fate wants to have a chat with Clark.

(Thanks to LegendaryDuo)

Now let’s check in with Icicle, who has a mysterious benefactor.

The symbol in the background is a black knight (as in a chess piece, not Batman), which is the logo for Checkmate, one of those government agencies I mentioned earlier in this review, whose leader should be familiar to those who’ve read some of my other reviews: Amanda Waller, who’s the person in the background. Waller has been using Icicle as her own personal assassin, culminating in taking out the Justice Society because they wouldn’t work for Checkmate.

Icicle doesn’t care, as long as he gets to kill those who laid out his father.

Meanwhile at the Planet, Clark touches base with Lois to find out why she was at the brownstone. She reveals the dossier, plus some info that she dug up on the side. Turns out the other criminals that were put behind bars thanks to the JSA…

Looks like Checkmate has been busy.

Now let’s check in with J’onn and Dr. Fate, who are scouring liquid nitrogen plants.

(Thanks to TheMartianManhunter)

Dr. Fate’s last act was to teleport J’onn to Emil’s labs.

Since Emil has no knowledge of Martian physiology, he doesn’t know what will happen when it ends.

Courtney confides in Clark that she wishes Hawman finds Icicle before Clark and his team does. She admits that when the government started leaning on the JSA, Hawkman started becoming more bloodthirsty, often more violent than those they were trying to stop.

Courtney tells Clark that he reminds her of Pemberton.

(Careful Clark, your red cape is showing!)

Elsewhere, Lois meets the person who supplied her with the JSA dossiers. Three guesses who. As to why?

Before she leaves, Waller hands Lois a burner phone.

It’s interesting that Waller is playing both sides. I wonder what her endgame is. (I’m sure she’s responsible for the HAS’s enemies getting sprung; no doubt starting up this show’s version of the Suicide Squad)

 And at Metropolis General…

After shutting off his father's life support, Icicle puts on the helmet, gaining Dr. Fate’s magic in addition to his own abilities (which goes TOTALLY against DC comic lore, as this is what usually happens when someone other Nabu’s Chosen wears the helmet:

(Thanks to Read Comics Online)

Elsewhere, Carter and Oliver share A Moment that pulls Carter away from his need for vengeance. Carter then flies the two of them to the team’s HQ.

(Thanks to TheDoctorOfFate)

With Icicle in custody and the Helmet of Nabu back in the JSA’s hands, Hawkman has A Moment with Clark

Hawkman gives a hell of a pep talk to Clark and reminds him that his team are Only Human (…or Martian…or Atlantian) that are prone to make mistakes, but to trust in them.

As for the JSA, Carter intends on recruiting and training the next generation to work under their banner.

Courtney then asks Clark what he calls his team.

Later at the Daily Planet…

(Thanks again to LegendaryDuo)

And what of Icicle?

Icicle wants Waller to send him out after the JSA again so he can finish what he started. However…

So Waller’s whole scheme was to force the JSA out of retirement? That could’ve been done without the body count, couldn’t it?

However, Waller isn’t done with Icicle

BANG!

OK, now she's done with him.

And what of the JSA? As a team, they don’t return, but Harkman and Stargirl do make sporadic appearances throughout the remainder of the series.

It’s a shame we didn’t see a spin-off series featuring a younger JSA in their heyday, but at least we caught a glimpse of what could’ve been in Stargirl a decade later.

[fancoloredglasses]

Absolute Justice (it's hard to be historically accurate when the setting is 40 years later), Part 1: Society

(Thanks to saviorofkandor)

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros-Discovery. Please don’t sue me]

[NOTE: All comic images are courtesy of DC Continuity Project unless overwise noted]

This episode is likely a love letter to the heroes who started it all for DC Comics (or, as it was then known, National Publications) and for the most part are all but ignored in movies and TV (Stargirl being the most obvious exception, though that was more a series about what happened after they disbanded) I would love for DC to green-light a movie or series based on these heroes (as opposed to their legacy)!

First, a bit of history…

In World War II, National Publications had a number of super heroes in their various titles after Superman made his debut in 1938’s Action Comics #1. In 1940, National decided to bring many of them together…

(Thanks to GameSpot)

…forming the Justice Society of America (JSA), dealing with major threats to the United States (they closed the plot hole of “why don’t the JSA just go to Europe and deal with the Nazis?” by giving Hitler a mystical artifact that prevents them from doing so)

Throughout the War Years, kids flocked to newsstands to read the latest adventures of the JSA. However, once the War was won, their popularity dropped off (to the point that Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman were the only National super heroes still regularly in publication) Then the 60s brought out the Silver Age and, eventually, the Multiverse where the JSA was still active.

However, Time Marches On, and it became harder for readers to suspend disbelief that heroes that were active in the 1940s were still vibrant enough to continue fighting crime (especially with Legacy Heroes such as Jade, Obsidian (Green Lantern Alan Scott’s children), Huntress (the daughter of Batman and Catwoman), Power Girl (the Earth-2 version of Supergirl, who debuted about the same time her Earth-1 counterpart did), and Stargirl (the successor to the Star Spangled Kid) fighting alongside the previous generation as adults (or, in Stargirl’s case, late teens). By the time Crisis debuted in 1985, the JSA should have been at least in their 60s.

This made it very difficult to have members of the JSA appear in modern television…unless you changed their history, which brings us to the subject of this review. If you would like to watch it, it’s available on Hulu or behind your favorite paywall.

PREVIOUSLY ON…

Clark has left Smallville for Metropolis and has joined the Daily Planet while protecting the city as the blue and red being known only as “The Blur” (since the writers weren’t allowed to make Clark Superman during the series) Along the way, he has encountered others like him and they have formed a team, with Chloe coordinating them under the moniker “Watchtower”.

However, events transpired that caused the team to disband, though Chloe does her best to keep the team going despite Clark not wanting to be involved.

Now, on with the show!

We open in Metropolis with Chloe calling Clark trying to get him to rejoin the team when the streetlamps around her suddenly go out and she sees…

…a man with a glowing rod land in front of her. He introduces himself as Sylvester Pemberton.

[HISTORICAL NOTE: Pemberton (AKA the Star Spangled Kid)…

…was never a member of the JSA during the Golden Age, but was instead a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Due to time travel shenanigans in the 70s, the Kid found himself 30 years out of time. He inherited Starman Ted Knight’s Cosmic Rod and joined the JSA at that time]

Pemberton knows about Chloe’s involvement with the team. He claims to be an ally, but before he can explain what he wants, the temperature suddenly drops. Pemberton tosses her in a dumpster and it is tossed around…

…and spears of ice penetrate the dumpster! When things calm down and Chloe finally emerges, she sees the dumpster covered in ice and Pemberton dying of extreme frostbite!

Roll the opening credits!

Clark arrives at Metropolis General to check on Chloe as she’s released after being treated to minor frostbite. They then discuss Pemberton. Chloe sees one of the nurses hand a police officer Pemberton’s effects, including his phone, so she gets close enough use her phone to clone the data from his SIM card. Meanwhile, Clark sees a distraught teenage girl crying about Pemberton. Clark tries to comfort her, but she sees his press badge and lashes out at him.

After she leaves, Clark and Chloe compare notes. Chloe reveals that Pemberton knew she’s Watchtower and describes what she saw from the dumpster.

Chloe then reveals that Pemberton’s last phone call was with someone named Wesley Dodds. She tells Clark to use his contacts at the Daily Planet to find out what he can about Dodds.

Speaking of Dodds, let’s check in on him. We find him asleep in his chair where he dreams Pemberton’s death.

[HISTORICAL NOTE: Wesley Dodds was known as the Sandman (not to be confused with Neil Gaiman’s title about the living embodiment of dreams)…

…who has no actual powers but wielded a gun that discharged sleeping gas]

He then dons his old costume just as he receives an intruder…who ices up his costume (and likely the person under it)

Back at the team’s headquarters, Oliver Queen (AKA the Green Arrow) makes an appearance (and thus far is the only one to do so since Chloe contacted everyone following her meeting with Pemberton)

Chloe briefs Oliver about Pemberton (and his rather extensive criminal record) and the girl at the hospital: a high school Sophomore from Nebraska named Courtney Whitmore.

Chloe discovers Pemberton’s staff is in police evidence, so she dispatches Oliver to retrieve it.

Meanwhile, Clark has tracked down Wesley Dodds and has arrived at his apartment, but is too late. Dodds was frozen to death the same as Pemberton. On the table, he sees something scrawled in blood:

Chloe uses her contact at the Medical Examiner’s office (Dr. Emil Hamilton) to get more information on Dodds and Pemberton. The ice pulled from Pemberton’s wounds had human DNA inside.

Emil mentions the note left on Dodds’s table, leaving Chloe to speculate what it means. Chloe goes to help dig up information about the “JSA”.

Meanwhile, in a barren room, we get a first glance at the Big Bad…

…and his next victim.

Later, Clark and Chloe go through the Planet’s archives…

(Thanks to TheHawkmanFlight)

[HISTORICAL NOTES: Let’s look at the people mentioned in the film, as (with one exception) they are not featured elsewhere in the episode but (with a different exception) were major players within the Justice Society:

Al Pratt was the diminutive hero known as the Atom. Unlike his Silver Age counterpart, he couldn’t shrink, but he eventually gained atomic powers.

Ted Grant was known as Wildcat, and mainly was known for using his pugilist training to fight crime. He was responsible for training many heroes, including the Silver Age Black Canary.

Jay Garrick was the speedster known as the Flash

Alan Scott was the Green Lantern. Unlike his Silver Age counterparts, his Power Ring was magic-based, not from an alien power source

(Thanks to writeups.org)

Abigail “Ma” Hunkel was known as the Red Tornado and was mainly used as comic relief. She never officially joined the JSA, but occasionally worked with them.

Carter Hall we’ll discuss shortly.]

I have to wonder how this footage was taken, as Grant was working out in his gym when he was arrested. Did he regularly film his training?

Later, Clark arrives at the address of Carter Hall, a museum inside a brownstone in the middle of Metropolis, only it looks like no one has lived there in some time. As Clark looks around, Hall enters the building and takes an immediate dislike to him.

Suddenly, Clark hears muttering elsewhere in the room coming from a man who introduces himself as Kent Nelson before continuing to mutter to a bag in his hands, so he takes a peek.

Suddenly, the helmet in the bag twists and stares right at him!

With that, Hall tells Clark he’s overstayed his welcome, so Clark leaves. As Clark leaves, Nelson approaches Hall, saying the helmet thinks Clark can help them, but Hall doesn’t think so.

Meanwhile, Oliver has gotten into police lockup, but Pemberton's staff wasn't there. Where could it have gotten to?

Yeah, that makes sense.

Oliver confronts Whitmore about stealing the rod, but she immediately swings at him with it.

Oliver attempts to defuse the situation by mentioning that Dodds has also been murdered. However, Nelson appears out of nowhere and vanishes with Whitmore.

Later, Oliver and Chloe go looking for Pemberton’s car. Thanks to a bit of judicious hacking, Chloe discovers his car should be in the alley she and Oliver have entered.

Once they find it (not that hard; how many star-spangled vehicles could there be? Plus it's right in front of Ted Grant’s old gym), Oliver finds a journal in the glove compartment and discovers…

Well, Pemberton certainly knew a lot about Clark and Chloe! There are also entries for the rest of the team, including their identities.

Meanwhile at the Brownstone, Whitmore begs Hall to do something about whoever killed Pemberton and Dodds.

Later, Chloe may have tracked down a lead on their frosty killer.

Unfortunately, Markent is recovering at Metropolis General psych ward from injuries suffered years ago (or at least that's what the reports say)

[HISTORICAL NOTE: The Icicle was a foe of Green Lantern Alan Scott before joining a group known as the Injustice Society. He was later killed during Crisis]

Meanwhile at the brownstone, Hall finally decides to get off his duff and tells Nelson it's time to open the bag.

(Thanks to TheDoctorOfFate)

[HISTORICAL NOTES:

Carter Hall was the winged warrior known as Hawkman. He and his wife Shiera were reincarnated Ancient Egyptian royalty who learned the secret of the mysterious Nth Metal that allows their winged harnesses to defy gravity.

Kent Nelson has a mystical bond with the Lord of Order known as Nabu, whose consciousness is channeled through his helmet. When Nelson wears the helmet, he becomes the sorcerer known as Dr. Fate]

Back at Metropolis General, Clark and Chloe arrive to talk with Markent, however…

(Thanjs again to TheDoctorOfFate)

Later, Chloe checks in with Green Arrow, who reports a sighting of the Cosmic Rod from satellite imagery and has found it, along with Whitmore.

…and she’s changed outfits.

[HISTORICAL NOTE: Whitmore became the Star Spangled Kid primarily to annoy her stepfather Pat Dugan (AKA Stripesy, Pemberton’s sidekick (yeah, a teen superhero had an adult sidekick) after Pemberton renamed himself Skyman. Following Skyman’s death, she acquired the Cosmic Rod, rechristening herself Stargirl]

Green Arrow realizes Whitmore is making herself a target for whomever is attacking her friends. He drops down and starts asking her where Clark was taken when he’s bathed in a jet of ice as the killer reveals himself, and it’s not Markent.

The killer and Whitmore (who has officially called herself Stargirl) have a staff battle with the Cosmic Rod and an ice rod the killer conjured. The two are at a stalemate (guess the killer’s new at this, since he couldn’t handle a rookie), so he sends ice spears flying at her!

Fortunately, Green Arrow’s still in the neighborhood. However, Stargirl doesn’t seem pleased that Green Arrow saved her life, since someone promised her the first shot at Pemberton’s killer (You got your first shot; you blew it) Who is that someone? The same someone who snatches Green Arrow off the ground and unceremoniously dumps into the team’s HQ through the window:

...Hawkman

However, Green Arrow manages to grab something off of Hawkman that hints that they’re holed up (and have Clark) at the Brownstone. He prepares to assault the brownstone, asking Chloe to call in the others.

With that, they call the desk of Detective John Jones (AKA J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter)

Meanwhile at Metropolis General, Markent has a visitor…

So, the killer is Markent’s son

…the second Icicle.

But what about Clark?

(Thanks to Granny Smith)

[Pictured but not mentioned elsewhere in the show: Hawkgirl, Hourman, Black Canary, and Mr. Terrific, and the Spectre. Nice to see them at least represented]

[NOTE: The above clip includes the beginning of part 2, which will be covered in Part 2 of this review]

As I mentioned at the start of this review, the JSA was active during World War II, so even the youngest members would have to be in their 80s. I peg the surviving original members as in their 40s (possibly 50s), which would put the JSA active in the late 70s, 40 years after their comic book counterparts.

WHO is the Justice Society?

WHY is the Icicle just now getting his revenge?

WILL this finally get Clark into his Captain Underpants look (no, that will have to wait another season and a half. Sorry)

These questions and more will be answered in the exciting conclusion!

[fancoloredglasses]

Batman vs. Two-Face (Bat Trek), conclusion

[All images are owned by DC Comics. Please don’t sue me]

PREVIOUSLY ON...

DA Harvey Dent (voiced by William Shatner) was doused with the essence of Gotham's vilest criminals, transforming him into the villainous Two-Face.

After a number of capers and mental rehabilitation, Dent is given plastic surgery, making him whole again, but Dent has to work his way back up the ranks in the DA office to prove himself to the public.

However, a couple of minor villains have capers that are thwarted by the Dynamic Duo (voiced by Adam West (in his final role) and Burt Ward), and evidence points to Two-Face manipulating the villains and taking the spoils for himself. However, Dent's appearance is still unscarred.

Dent later visits Bruce Wayne, inviting him to be part of a charity auction in which Gotham's eligible bachelors are auctioned off for a date with the lucky winner.

Meanwhile, Robin is convinced Dent has reverted to being Two-Face (despite physical evidence to the contrary), while Batman is unwilling to believe it. The two have an argument, which ends with Robin being benched.

That catches us up. If you would like to watch the movie, it's behind your favorite paywall.

Let’s check in on Robin, shall we?

(Thanks to Babil Fett)

(yep, no ZOWIE!)

Robin wakes up in the Bat Holding Cell where he can sort himself out while Batman figures out what to do. Fortunately, Batman somehow comes up with an antidote and everything’s back to normal.

With Robin back to normal, they compare notes. Robin reveals that, while Dent is involved, he doesn’t seem to be behind everything. Meanwhile, Batman analyzed Robin’s outfit while he was unconscious.

And we all know what that means!  …err, what does it mean?

Apparently blue chalk leads to billiards (I can see it) However, Batman further analyzed the chemical composition of the chalk to a brand used in only one place in Gotham:

…where Dent’s charity function is being held!

With that, the Dynamic Duo are off once again! Batman takes along a vial of the Evil Antidote to hopefully use on whoever Two-Face is.

Upon arrival, they are confronted by Two-Face on a giant billiard table. Batman demands to know his identity, but instead Two-Face attacks with the giant billiard balls!

They manage to evade the balls, but the effort knocks them out. Two-Face then captures them as he dictates a letter to the city’s villains, inviting them to an auction where the winner will unmask the Caped Crusaders.

Later, Batman and Robin awake to find…

…they’re about to be part of a deadly coin flip!

Then Dent comes out to talk to them. Batman tries to reason with him.

Then Harvey reveals…

…that he’s the man who put him up to this! Two-Face wasn’t reformed; that aspect of Harvey Dent only buried himself until Dent was tired of being the low man in the DA office.

Two-Face then reveals that he’s about to auction off the man under Batman’s cowl to the criminal underworld!

…after he sees for himself!

Let the auction begin!

As the villains argue and bid…

…Hugo Strange is siphoning off their evil-ness.

Finally, Catwoman (voiced by Julie Newmar) has decided no one will unmask Batman except her.

However, the Joker has a plan to outbid her.

With that, Two-Face saunters off with a cool $10 million. Meanwhile, the Evil Extractor has filled a tank on the back of the biplane King Tut stole (remember that?)

With little choice, Batman triggers the giant coin, hurtling it toward the spikes. However, he and Robin shift their weight just enough to…

Now that’s some serious deus ex Batshit!

As the coin rolls around, Catwoman slices through the ropes, freeing the Dynamic Duo. Batman apologizes for standing up Catwoman, but she understands that Batman will never come around to her side.

With that, the villains attack the threesome. Cue the fight music.

(Still no ZOWIE! No, I can’t explain my infatuation with ZOWIE!)

With the villains defeated, Batman discovers the Evil Extractor and deduces Two Face’s plan.

Catwoman opts not to join Batman for the Final Showdown, but promises Batman she’ll turn herself in (suuuuuuuure she will!)

However, are they too late?

Because Two-Face has already deployed the Evil Essence!

(OK, even the drive-in screen is affected? The Campiness finally fully rears its head!)

With little choice, Batman and Robin use their boot jets to reach Two-Face’s plane.

As Two-Face tries to shake his stowaways, Batman uses his Bat-Laser to cut the Evil Essence tanks from the plane. Meanwhile, Robin dodges around the plane while Two-Face shots at him. Unfortunately for Two-Face, he hits the plane’s engine one too many times.

The plane’s engine dies, sending Two-Face careening toward Gotham City’s streets as the Masked Manhunters bail out, using their capes as parachutes (sure, why not) Two-Face crashes the plane into an abandoned oil refinery as Batman and Robin enter in search of Two-Face and flames spread throughout the refinery. It could blow at any time!

Unfortunately, the vial of antidote (remember that) was smashed during the evening’s activities. However, Batman decides to go to save Two-Face, sending Robin away.

(Thanks to SuperNicko Harris)

Unfortunately, the excitement is too much for poor Dent.

Sadly, Harvey Dent must once again go to prison for Two-Face’s actions, but in more immediate concerns, there are a few hundred citizens (and a drive-in movie screen) that were doused with the Evil Essence.

(I can’t decide whether or not that’s worse than the Shark Repellent Bat Spray)

The cure works just as quickly as the Evil Essence, curing all of Gotham.

A few months later at Stately Wayne Manor…

Bruce and Dick worry about how Harvey Dent will act knowing their secret identities. However, Dent acts as if he didn’t know.

And so, the charity bachelor auction begins. The first one up for bid? None other than Batman!

…of course! Will she bid $5 million here as well?

With that, roll the closing credits…with a message for a fallen legend in the Bat-verse.

One quick note: There was a deleted scene that I just HAVE to share, though it certainly isn’t canon for the universe of Batman, it does show what could’ve been if a certain character was created a few decades earlier…

(Thanks to The World's Finest)

[fancoloredglasses]

Batman vs. Two-Face (Bat Trek), Part 1

[All images are owned by DC Comics. Please don’t sue me]

(Thanks to DC)

Batman was cancelled after its third season due to low ratings. However, it wasn’t the end of Adam West as Batman. After all, he and Burt Ward starred in an animated series (it wasn’t a continuation of the series…but given Bat-Mite, it might as well have been) Additionally, West gave his voice to a number of minor characters in other animated versions of the Caped Crusader’s adventures.

However, West and Ward returned to their iconic roles in animated form in 2016.

(Thanks to IMDb)

This was the first of two animated features starring the “Bright Knight”. There may have been more planned, but sadly Adam West passed away shortly after voice acting for the subject of this week’s review was completed.

Now, as for the film we’re reviewing…it’s rumored that Two-Face was to be in Batman if a fourth season was green lit. However, I’m sure he would’ve been less like Two-Face and more like this…

(Thanks to Reddit)

However, Adam West’s Bat-Swan song finally brought Two-Face into the universe of Batman. If you would like to watch the film, you may do so behind your favorite paywall.

We open at a laboratory inside Gotham State Penitentiary (remember: Arkham Asylum wasn’t A Thing in the comics in the 60s) where an experimental procedure will take place as soon as Batman and Robin arrive. They’re a bit delayed by…

…Batman flirting with Catwoman (voiced by Batman’s first Catwoman, Julie Newmar), who is serving her time in prison (I have a feeling she’ll escape soon enough)

[I want to make a sad note that it’s obvious by his voice that Adam West has aged 50 years since his time in the Batsuit. I’m certainly not saying he doesn’t do a good job in the role, but it’s like hearing Patrick Stewart in Picard when you’re expecting the same voice he had in Next Generation]

Meanwhile in the Batmobile…

Finally, Robin reminds Batman that they have an appointment, so sadly Batman must say good night to Catwoman.

Later, the Penitentiary’s lab, Dr. Hugo Strange unveils his invention before the Dynamic Duo, Commissioner Gordon, and…

…District Attorney Harvey Dent. (voiced by Willaim Shatner; is it just me or is Dent drawn to resemble Captain Kirk? In fact, the animators wanted Dent to resemble Shatner as he would’ve been in the 60s. However, I’m won't make the obvious Star Trek jokes during this review. There’s more than enough snark without them.)

Next we are introduced to…

Hugo Strange and his assistant, Harleen Quinzel (why am I seeing everything going horribly wrong with whatever Strange has planned?) unveil their invention…

...the Evil Extractor, designed to remove the criminal elements from a villain’s brain, thus instantly rehabilitating them. Strange then brings out his test subjects (wait, plural? Why not start with one and move up from there?): Egghead, the Riddler, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and the Joker…

…who takes a moment to flirt with Quinzel.

[QUICK NOTE: Harleen Quinzel (AKA Harley Quinn) wouldn’t make her debut until 23 years after Batman was cancelled, so introducing her in a movie based on a series in the 60s is a bit odd. However, given that this version of the Joker is more a pranking thief than a psychopath, the pair might’ve actually had a functional relationship]

[ANOTHER QUICK NOTE: Interesting choice that the animators didn’t include Caesar Romero’s mustache on this version of the Joker]

Dent nervously flips his “lucky” two-headed coin as the villains are shackled into their chairs and the demonstration begins.

(Thanks to Warner Bros. Entertainment)

Roll the opening credits!

(Thanks to Juan Ignacio Monzón)

We come back (presumably after some time has passed) to a hospital where Harvey is being unbandaged following plastic surgery.

Of course, if that was the case this would be a short movie.

What’s more, Harvey has a job waiting for him.

Geez, isn’t that a bit of a step down? Still…I’m assuming he was Two-Face for some time before this, so he needs to build his Legal Cred back. Harvey’s ready to do so to restore Gotham’s trust.

…though that doesn’t seem promising.

Six Months later, we are shown the hangers for Amiable Skies Aviation (which I’m sure is a copyright-free workaround for a certain airline that wants you to “Fly the Friendly Skies”)

A security guard is knocked out by a pair of thugs dressed as extras in a Cleopatra movie. Not surprising, considering who their boss is:

King Tut (AKA William Omaha McElroy, an Egyptologist who believed himself to be the Pharaoh returned whenever he suffered a blow to the head. King Tut was created for the TV show and was the only such character to be popular among fans on the comic)

King Tut then steals a biplane (how does an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh know how to fly a plane?) from Delta Amiable Skies. This is enough for Commissioner Gordon to flash the Bat Signal.

Looks like Bruce and Dick will have to miss the Millionaire’s Charity Soiree and City Tour. Fortunately, Aunt Harriet and Alfred are happy to go in their place.

In the Batcave, Batman discovers that the one of the Soiree’s sponsors is the Nile Double Decker Bus Company. Naturally, that’s too juicy a prize for Tut to resist.

Sure enough…

…Tut and his “Tutlings” show up to rob the attendees. Fortunately, the Caped Crusaders arrive to Save The Day as Alfred escorts the patrons to safety.

(I love that they included the onomatopoetic effects during the fights...but yet no ZOWIE!)

The Dynamic Duo make short work of the Tutlings, but Tut deploys toy snakes with sharp fangs!

With Batman and Robin unconscious and helpless, King Tut captures them and places them in a Death Trap rather than just killing them outright like any sensible criminal not from Gotham City would do.

And what is the Death Trap? Why, Tut stuffed them in urns…

…and begins to cover them in cement. That’s awfully elaborate. A pair of lead slugs would’ve been much cheaper…just sayin’. And, of course, Tut and his goons walk away rather than making sure they’re actually dead this time. Will Gotham’s villains EVER learn?

Fortunately, it’s been established that the Caped Crusaders have rockets in their boots.

Batman and Robin then land on the Tutlings (somehow knocking them out and not killing them from the thrust of the Bat Rockets) Then King Tut gets hit in the head by a falling brick, reverting back to McElroy. The Dynamic Duo leads McElroy away, leaving King Tut’s spoils behind, where a couple of thugs (named Twin 1 and Twin 2) claim it.

So someone arranged for McElroy’s most recent blow to the head. Who could it be?

Later, at GCPD HQ, interrogation of Professor McElroy proves fruitless as the stolen loot was (obviously) missing, as well as the biplane.

Dent is sure McElroy will be sent up the river, while Batman hopes the jury will have pity on him. However, Dent manages to convince the jury to convict McElroy.

Later, Dent takes a victory lap at Stately Wayne Manor.

…though Dick is rubbing salt in Harvey’s recent past. Harvey then explains the other reason for visiting Bruce. He's having a charity bachelor auction and wants to auction Bruce off.

Well, Bruce does love his philanthropy. The charity is the Society for Underprivileged Fraternal Twins, and of course Bruce agrees to help. The benefit will be at the Winning Pair Casino.

Then Commissioner Gordon calls for Batman, so Bruce excuses himself. It seems Gordon has received an anonymous package addressed to Batman. One trip down the Batpoles later and the Batmobile rockets toward Gotham City.

Very astute, Robin. However, the book has several holes through it…and what sort of creature would do that sort of thing? Why, a Bookworm, of course!

[QUICK NOTE: The Bookworm is another villain created for the series. He is a thief who specializes in literary capers]

Thanks to mental stretching that would make Plastic Man proud, Batman arrives at Gotham Public Library where he deduced that the Bookworm is after rare copies of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Man in the Iron Mask and A Tale of Two Cities.

The Caped Crusaders head for the Rare Book vault to stop the Bookworm.

(Thanks to DC)

(STILL no ZOWIE, dammit!)

As Batman and Robin polish off the Bookworm and his literary lack-wits, someone sneaks in and steals the tomes.

Chief O’Hara chides the Bookworm for leaving a clue to his caper that Batman could figure out, only the Bookworm claims to have never left a clue!

The mystery deepens as Robin discovers the theft.

Later, Batman deduces someone else wanted them to catch Bookworm, and the clue is in the books.

Also, King Tut’s crimes also followed a similar theme.

All signs point to none other than Two-Face. However, Harvey Dent has been rehabilitated, right? They decide to check out Two-Face’s last known hideout.

Meanwhile, at said hideout. It seems that Two-Face (or someone who resembles him) is in residence, but is preparing to abandon it. However, the Caped Crusaders have arrived before Two-Face could depart. Cue the fight scene!

(Nope, no ZOWIE!)

Then Two-Face drops a giant number two (it's a 2! Get your mind out of the gutter!) on Our Heroes. But before his goons can finish them off, Two-Face flips his coin.

With that, Two-Face and his gang leave.

How is Two-Face back to his old looks and demeanor when Harvey Dent is unscarred and upholding the law?

The two confront Dent (still unscarred) about Two-Face’s involvement.

Dent offers whatever Batman needs to bring whoever’s behind these “Two-Face” crimes to justice. With that, the Dynamic Duo leave, though Robin still has his suspicions.

After Batman and Robin leave, Dent makes a phone call.

The person on the other end (it sounds like Two-Face) claims that he’s framing villains and purloining their hauls, leaving them for Dent to convict so he can rebuild his reputation. Where’s a Bat-phone tap when you need one?

Meanwhile, Dr. Hugo Strange (remember him?) is ranting about being fired after the evil extractor mishap (dude, you should’ve started small, like maybe Bookworm or Louie the Lilac rather than with FOUR of the biggest criminals in Gotham City (and Egghead)) when he has a visitor.

Back in the Batcave, Batman and Robin are having a disagreement as to how to proceed in dealing with Two-Face.

With that, Batman benches Robin and takes the Batmobile out on patrol, blowing off his “date” with Catwoman.

Then, with the help of one of her feline friends, Catwoman breaks out of prison (shame. She only had another 30 months left on her sentence)

Back at Wayne Manor, Alfred discovers Dick has left the Manor to track down evidence that Dent’s involved with Two-Face.

WHO is this new Two-Face?

WHAT is his ultimate plan?

DOES it involve commanding the USS Enterprise? (C'mon, you know I had to throw a Star Trek joke in there somewhere!)

These questions and more will be answered in the exciting conclusion!

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] The Adventures of Superman (the first iconic portrayal)

(Thanks to MissingPieces4U)

[All images are owned by DC Comics. Please don’t sue me]

[NOTE: The original version of this review was VERY scarce in information. This one is almost a full rewrite]

When one thinks of the Man of Steel, a number of actors (and voice actors) come to mind, but to longtime fans, two (who have a similar last name) immediately spring to mind.

While Christopher Reeve may be the quintessential Superman…

…George Reeves is the epitome of Clark Kent.

Clark and his friends Lois Lane and Jimmy Olson spanned Metropolis and beyond rooting out criminals and corruption for the Daily Planet.

…under the leadership of Perry White.

…and often assisting the Metropolis Police through Inspector Henderson.

Before Crisis, Clark Kent was a mild-mannered doormat, often the butt of terrible pranks by his fellow co-workers or being scooped by Lois. However, this version of Clark Kent is more confident and willing to get in the middle of everything, often only donning the blue tights for a dramatic scene or two to Save The Day

Unfortunately, writers at National Publications (the company that became DC Comics) weren’t interested in a confident Clark Kent, so unlike a lot of ideas generated by the various media (Superman didn’t fly until after the Max Fleischer cartoons came out, and Kryptonite was a result of the radio show) this didn’t become canon until 30 years later (However, Jack Larson’s portrayal of Jimmy Olson was popular enough that National released a comic devoted to “Superman’s Pal”)

(Thanks to Wikipedia)

The series (much like early seasons of Lois & Clark) focused primarily on the Clark Kent side of Kal-El’s life and their interactions. The series let Lois and/or Jimmy (and sometimes Perry) get in over their heads…

(Thanks to Steven Kirk)

(Reeves loved doing the scenes where Superman crashed through a wall)

…before Superman swoops in and Saves The Day

In fact, if the series had any drawback, it would be a similar one to every portrayal of Superman: regular people pose no real threat to him. There were no super villains on the show (not even Lex Luthor), and most of the crooks he faced tried shooting him (you’d think after 6 seasons they’d learn to not waste their ammo)

While the series had a lot of humor, it never seemed to fall into “camp” like Lois & Clark did in its final seasons. Instead, the humor revolved around the characters instead of the situations (though the reactions crooks had when they realized who they were facing was quite humorous)

A lot of the effects were cutting edge at the time. For example, originally the flying effects were done with Reeves suspended by wires. However, he refused to continue doing that effect when a wire snapped, sending him falling to the floor. Therefore, the person in charge of effects made a form-fitting metal tray that would go under the costume, which allowed for Reeves (with the help of stagehands off camera) to tilt his body as if making turns in mid-flight.

The series ran for two seasons in black and white before switching to color for the final four seasons. Sadly, the series was cancelled after George Reeves committed suicide (likely due to not finding work outside of Adventures of Superman)

As always, let me know of any episodes you’d like to see.

[fancoloredglasses]

The Clone Wars (The Lucasfilm one, not the Disney one)

[All images are owned by Lucasfilm Disney. Please don’t sue or Force Choke me]

Now, I’m sure most of you know Clone Wars, the 3D Animated series set between Attack of the Clones (released in 2002) and Revenge of the Sith (released in 2005) that aired starting in 2008 starring…

…Master Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano.

While it was considered by many (including myself) to be a great series that combined action and drama (and its spin-off The Bad Batch and sequel Rebels did more of the same), it suffers in the same way Episodes I – III do: It’s a prequel (in The Clone Wars’s case, to Episode III) that you know has to end a certain way to fit the existing narrative. Granted it did it in a way that didn’t diminish the story (unlike the way Episode III and Rogue One did by shoehorning the needed ending in awkwardly)

However, this was the second series that dealt with the time between the end of Episode II and the beginning of Episode III

The first came out shortly after Episode II left theaters and ended just before Episode III premiered.

(Thanks to Anthony Cassimiro)

Clone Wars was animated by the same studio that made Samurai Jack (and it shows) and followed the adventures of…

…Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan (later fellow Master) Anakin Skywalker.

The series was done in 5-minute “mini-sodes” on Cartoon Network for 2 seasons and was considered canon (until Disney bought Lucasfilm) and was the first footage featuring…

…General Grievous (though sadly they don’t explain why a droid has a nagging cough; what is it about the Star Wars universe and cyborgs with breathing issues?)

As the series was designed to chronicle the events leading up to a movie that hadn’t been released yet, the series ends just before the events of Episode III.

While the series’ narrative is compelling and the action is breathtaking (if a bit overwhelming at times), the dialogue is at times just as awkward as the films it’s sandwiched between. Also, given the episodes are only 5 minutes long, it’s not as engaging as the 2008 series.

If you would like to watch the series, the episodes are combined into a single “episode” for each season (Much like Rooster Teeth did for Red vs. Blue and RWBY) and are available on Disney+ (I’ve seen Season 1 on YouTube, but not Season 2)